Clashes in Az-Zawiya this morning

Mohammed, a resident of the city of Zawiya, 70km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, tells the BBC World Service: “There was heavy fighting until about 10 minutes ago. But Zawiya was never falling to Gaddafi’s troops. Let me repeat: It was never falling to Gaddafi’s troops. They came from the east and west, and they took up positions in high-rise buildings… and started shooting. Some tanks went to the main square and were captured and burnt. There are some casualties among Gaddafi’s troops and our troops – but Zawiya was never captured.”

Mohammed says: “[The government forces] were trying to take the square. They knew if they could take the square Zawiya would fall. But they could not. I am outside the square. Gaddafi’s troops are nowhere to be seen. They have all fled. Some lost their vehicles so they had to walk from one street to another, hiding in buildings. But the rebels got them, some were killed, some captured.”

“The fighting was all around us. But right now the fighting is over. It has stopped. It started at 0600 local time, and finished before 1100 – that’s how long it took. I assume the pro-Gaddafi forces are now on the outskirts of the city – perhaps 5 miles in each direction,” Mohammed adds.